Communities

IET Communities provide like-minded people with opportunities to share ideas, collaborate, learn and network. With more than 100 Local and Technical Networks around the world, you can feel confident of finding a community that suits your interests.

Step 5: Putting together the programme and inviting speakers

Developing a programme

See also

Once this step has been undertaken you are in a position to develop your programme, including timings and speakers. A key point to consider at this stage is that not every speaker on your draft programme will be available on the set date. Generate a speaker wish list to allow for some contingency.

Speaker invitations

When issuing an invitation to present, highlight the opportunities to speakers. The event could provide them with the platform to;

present about their projects (and profile their organisation)

make new contacts

interact with new members of the community

These factors should be emphasised to the potential speaker when issuing the invitation.

Make sure each speaker is clear on what their presentation should cover, making them aware of who the other speakers are and what they are covering (providing speakers with all the biographies and presentation synopsis when available).

Capture a speaker’s response to the invitation and their contact details. It is important to obtain a confirmed response from the speaker along with their current contact details, as this may be needed on the day of the event. Obtaining a short biography and job title is helpful when creating the marketing material for the event.

Benefits of publicising a completed programme

Publicising a full programme, with clear timings, speaker names, job titles, presentation titles and biographies, allows potential delegates to make an informed decision about attending the event and is likely to have a positive impact on attendance.

Event output

It is important to capture the intellectual property from the event to gain the most of the effort and resource that has been invested. Providing post event outputs online is an effective way to reach a global audience through the IET’s website.

As a minimum we would recommend that each author submit an abstract and presentation (either a paper or a PowerPoint presentation) which could then be published on the IET website. The author is required to sign a copyright or licence to reproduce form to allow the IET to publish their presentation in relation to the event, whether the content is being published on the IET’s website or in a more formal event proceeding. This should be agreed during early discussions with speakers.